Gavin

[SIZE="1"][CENTER][B][U]Brotherhood[/U][/B][/CENTER] [INDENT]I stare into lifeless eyes that will never respond, blood pooling in the grass between us. My heartbeat, which had been some savage war-drum of adrenaline and wrath fades, replaced by growing nausea and comprehension. Slowly my lips forms the word... "[b]Brother ?[/b]" Too far. Too Late. I weep, for the monster I've become.[/SIZE][/INDENT]

[quote name='Indi'][COLOR="Indigo"]No, scratch that... I [I]will [/I]hurt you. :p[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]...OK, guess I've been overruled. ^_^;[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Another Almagest based one. [INDENT]Brother A word only, Severed connection Honour's worth ? Jacob.[/INDENT][/SIZE]

[quote name='Aaryanna'][COLOR="DarkGreen"][FONT="Book Antiqua"]Wait... what?!? o_O I honestly don't get that idea at all Gavin. Not that I'm objecting to you doing it [[SIZE="1"]well maybe a little but only because it makes no sense at all[/SIZE]] since Dwalish is your character after all. Also, are you trying to make Victoria Ann hate Dwalish? You do realize she's not going to understand or accept that, even when she gets older. [I]Ever.[/I] And just to be a brat since that's my job these days... you didn't post it so... I'm going to pretend it never happened. :p [spoiler]I'm not kidding by the way, that whole idea felt like it came out of nowhere.[/spoiler] Anyway, I'll shut up for now... but still.[B] o_O[/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Heh, I knew someone wouldn't like it, me ruining the relatively happy ending. But I don't really get by what you mean it doesn't make sense Aaryanna ? Do you mean it doesn't fit with Dwalish (because I think taking into account his character and recent events it does) or just it doesn't fit with the story ? As for Victoria-Ann hating Dwalish, I always thought she'd have hated him for taking Harrison with him to the military and away from her. Now she probably really hates him though. ^_^; Just OOC, does anyone else feel it doesn't fit ? If most people think so, I don't really mind removing it.[/SIZE] [quote name='Rachmaninoff']What an absurd family, to stand by and not only do nothing, but to stop the only one there who has the sense to do something about it... It's a good thing that a lot of that is going to change with the government being restructured along with other aspects like the police and so forth. You can bet that one of the first things Alexander is going to do is move to have that bit about duels being legal revoked. :p[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Heh, careful now Police Chief, just because the King happens to be making things more democratic doesn't mean you New Czenoble peasants have the right to go tell the nobility what to do, if we feel like solving thing with violence rather than words, in the name of personal honour, it's our choice. Seriously though, does Alexander have the power to change laws as well as enforce them ? Sounds like he's trying to step outside his powers there. ^_~[/SIZE]

[quote name='Indi'][COLOR="Indigo"]Amusing for a laugh, but not much else. [/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I was more so amused by the fact the majority of the US's Top Searches are porn sites.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]I suppose like a lot of OB's original members/remaining oldies, DBZ was the first anime which really grabbed me from the start, given that it was so completely different from what I'd seen before, although I still quite enjoy the series, I doubt it would hold me in the same fashion now as it did then. The two most recent anime which really drew me in from the very beginning would probably be Claymore and Samurai Champloo. I'd been aware of the former for a while, but when I actually sat down and watched it for the first time, I was hooked straight away. It was quite bleak and very deep, and I suppose that's what made it interesting to me particularly the exploration of identity and humanity along the way. Samurai Champloo on the other hand I got into because of Mike/Zen, he'd mentioned the series once or twice, and as I had a bit of free time I thought I'd check it out, seeing as his last recommendation, Bleach had turned out to be one of my favourite continuing anime series. Samurai Champloo was just a really cool take on the whole samurai culture and particularly contrasting between Jin and Mugen, guys who were almost two opposite sides of the same coin. The whole style of the series was great for me, and one of the things that made me watching it in a single weekend. [/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Thanks for quoting that for me Josh, as you said, I should have used the Backstage thread, and thanks for the kind words.[/SIZE] [quote name='Rachmaninoff']That's one of the longest OCC I've ever seen, it's like an entire post in itself. Also, even though I have no problem with you wishing to end it like that; this part is a problem and a serious misplay of Alexander:Legal or not, he would have never stood by and done nothing. As you pointed out, he is not a noble, other than by marriage, so respecting the right of a duel, especially one brought on by the grief of a funeral... That just wouldn't have happened. Someone would have had to physically stop him from attempting to put an end to that duel. I'm not kidding either. Anyway, at this point it doesn't matter. Also it sounds like Harriet didn't last long after that which means long before Beth's post... there would have been a funeral for her as well.[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Funnily enough Darren, that's exactly how I pictured it, I probably just didn't elabourate enough. Alexander would have gone to try to stop the duel, while Leonhart and Albrecht would have held him back, with Bavaria explaining the legality of it and that he cannot interfere, regardless of his personal feelings. I thought it was a good way to get a "normal" person's view on something that would be not quite common, but acknowledged as "proper" among the nobility. As for Harriet, well, "not long" meant about a year or so, which I think I established with Josh beforehand when I planned this, so I imagine she'd see little baby Daedalus and then pass on peacefully in her sleep maybe a week or two later, satisfied that the family will continue.[/SIZE]

[quote name='silpheedpilot'][SIZE="1"][COLOR="SlateGray"]You know, with Star Wars characters appearing in a fighting game that leads me to say; I'd love to see a re-make of [B]Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi[/B], a fighting game on the PlayStation that was absolutely horrible. Hand the rights over to Namco and you'd have an absolutely glorious fighting game as well as some cameos of Tekken and Soul Calibur characters for sure.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I suppose the multiplayer segment of the Jedi Knight series would the the closest Teräs Käsi ever got to a sequel. That said, depending on how good/bad/mediocre Force Unleashed turns out to be, it could happen, as you said Joe, if Namco were brought on-board by LucasArts to create a fighting game for Star Wars, it would probably be awesome, at least, as long as LA don't rush the game like they did with KOTOR2.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Great chapter. I have to say, it all fits well with what was previously established about Itachi, far more so that his really OOC moments from his final fight with Sasuke. I'm wondering now though, exactly what Madara's plans are for his last remaining descendant, particularly because Itachi wanted to protect Sasuke so desperately from him. Perhaps it has more to do with what Madara did to Itachi after he joined Akatsuki than before. I have to admit, I'm still a little surprised the Elders ordered the execution of the Uchiha clan, and even a little more so that Fugaku was the leader of the whole thing, although now he's telling Sasuke to stop looking to his brother for example makes sense in a very different way.[/SIZE]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/dawlish-chronicle.jpg[/IMG][/center] [indent][size=1]The return to the city had been such a quiet thing. Despite the cheers which had filled the air-waves only hours beforehand, the full horror of what had occurred had slowly set in among the minds of the crew. Hundreds of their comrades had been killed, the funerals would go on for days, weeks even, a whole new cemetery would likely have to be created to accommodate the bodies of the fallen... His father would likely get a monument, yes, that much was almost guaranteed, in hindsight, a mere stone statue seemed a poor recompense for a life, but then, Dwalish supposed it was the symbolism that mattered. Perhaps in reality, what had troubled him more was that though they had lost so many, he had, in anger and grief ordered the deaths of countless more. No survivors. Those had been his words... his orders. Not a traitor to be let live. The Underdog fleet had been completely annihilated... How many fathers had he taken away ? How many sons ? Daughters ? Mothers ? They had been traitors... willing to kill gods-knew how many people to affect their changes. But... had that been over-simplifying things ? Were they all "traitors" simply because had made it easier to order their extermination ? Had he painted Litheway's face on every body simply because he had wanted to view them all that way ? No answers came readily. He had tucked his sleeping brother into their father's bed, the tear streaks still fresh down his cheeks. Running his rough fingers through Harrison's hair, Dwalish had taken one of the spare pillows and collapsed into the nearest chair, exhaustion claiming him quickly. He had expected his sleep to be broken, marred by nightmares, instead it had been oddly peaceful, oddly deep. That too troubled him, as though it confirmed his worst fears that he could be so comfortable with death to rest so soundly. He tried to imagine words of comfort and support his father might've offered, but his mind remained silent. Like everything else about the day, he would have to deal with it himself, alone. Three sharp knocks on the solid door had woken him. Unsteadily he drew himself out of the chair, casting a quick look over at the bed, confirming his brother still slept. Dwalish smiled slightly, despite the rapid growth his fourteen year old brother had made in recent weeks, there were still aspects to him that thankfully remained truly child-like. Slowly unlocking the door, he had stepped out into the corridor to be greeted by the worn face of Colonel Gast. His eyes were bloodshot, and heavily shadowed. He hadn't slept yet, the realisation struck Dwalish hard as he forced himself fully awake. He had truly let his emotions get the better of him. An entire fleet was relying on him to lead them now, at least, in theory, and he had instead left his duty to Colonel Gast, unacceptable. "[b]...Albrecht, you look absolutely exhausted. You should have woken me earlier.[/b]" Gast gave him a funny look. As though Dwalish had been a child chiding a parent. "[b]Don't worry about it Dwalish... You needed the rest more than I did...[/b]" He cast his eyes towards the door, before returning his gaze to Dwalish's face. "[b]How's your brother ?[/b]" There was genuine concern in the older man's voice. Despite the fact that Dwalish was himself in his mid thirties, the twenty-year age-gap between the two men had never really had any significant impact on their working relationship. Perhaps it was because Albrecht's own youngest son Felix was only a few years older than Harrison that his paternal side was now showing. "[b]No worse for wear, thank the gods. He's still sleeping, I imagine it'll take some time for him to recover fully though...[/b]" Dwalish smiled reassuring. "[b]...And you ?[/b]" The smile faded, as Dwalish's right hand pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation. "[b]...I...I don't know..[/b]" His hand shifted, the cover his mouth, his eyes falling to the floor between them. "[b]Tell me Albrecht, did I do the right thing ?[/b]" The old man's brow creased at the question. "[b]...You know I can't tell you that Dwalish... Whether I agree with what you did or not will not allay your doubts, the only person who can do that is you alone...[/b]" Dwalish's expression fell further. "[b]...I'm sorry I can't offer you any reassurances Dwalish. I will say however, that I do not believe you to be an evil man. Take that how you will.[/b]" Nodding slowly, Dwalish's gaze returned to Gast's face. "[b]How's the Fleet ?[/b]" "[b]As well as can be expected in reality. The most severely damaged ships have already docked at the yards for repairs. Despite the damage we took during the battle, the Sentinel's only been confirmed for docking in the last few minutes. That's why I came actually, Fleet Command wants to speak to you as soon as we've successfully secured.[/b]" "[b]Sounds like a debriefing...[/b]" "[b]That's what I thought myself.[/b]" "[b]Odd that they want me to wait until we've docked, I could just as easily take a shuttle.[/b]" "[b]I imagine it's the Brass' version of courtesy Dwalish, giving you so time to get yourself in order after all that's happened.[/b]" "[b]Maybe...Or maybe they're waiting to see people's reaction to the battle, before they make any politically unfavourable decisions by supporting, or condemning me.[/b]" Gast gave a slight smile. "[b]I guess you'll find out soon enough.[/b]" [CENTER][IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/dawlish-chronicle.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/primas-avatar.jpg[/IMG][/center] It seemed he would not face a war-crimes tribunal yet...In the time that had passed since the battle, the remaining Air-Generals had returned to High Czenoble, along with parts of their fleets. Much as it had been only hours beforehand, the skies above the capital were filled with air-ships, though, their presence now seemed more reassuring for the populace. Dwalish didn't imagine any of the other powers would try to attack Czenovia in it's weakened state, but then, he supposed, he had never imagined they would deal with rebellion on such a scale either. A valid precaution then. He had showered thoroughly, somewhat surprised by the amount of blood and dirt which had come on, before donning a new uniform to replace the torn and bloodied one he had been wearing. For a moment, he'd been tempted to use his dress uniform, facing the seven remaining Air-Generals, the Air-Marshal and possible even His Highness himself , it may have been prudent but then again, it may have looked conceited on his part. It had probably been best to use his ordinary uniform. The room had been smaller than expected. For Fleet Command, he'd expected a rather grander room, but this seemed far more frugal. Twelve seats, set in a semi circle, one in the centre raised above the rest, the seat reserved for the ruler monarch of Czenovia. The marble walls and columns exuded a sense of presence and authority without any need for further decoration. If he had been willing to admit it, Dwalish had been slightly apprehensive. As the doors of the room had parted to him, he had locked eyes immediately with King Primas, who had in turn merely nodded, and gestured for him to take his seat, in front of the ten remaining members, his father's seat to Primas' left, and Litheway's seat next to Air-Marshal Bertineau both noticeably vacant. "[b]Commander, thank you for joining us so promptly. First, may I extend both my deepest sympathies on the passing of your father and my most heart-felt admiration on the First Fleet's actions in protecting the populace in the face of that horrific battle. You are all, without doubt, heroes of Czenovia and we are honoured by your bravery and steadfast loyalty.[/b]? Primas?s voice was rich and charismatic, and Dwalish had been slightly taken aback by the Dynast?s speech, despite his reputed desire to rebuild Czenovia as a more democratic entity, he was also apparently astute enough to keep the favour of those who held the greatest loyalty to the Crystalline Throne. If he had moved too fast in altering Czenovia to the designs of the people of New Czenovia, it was conceivable that men like Dwalish, and those of the Fleet who had survived would not best pleased, giving their lives in the name of the nation, only to have it appear that victory yielded the same result at defeat. ?[b]I am humbled by your praise Highness, and greatly appreciative of your sympathies. I know that my father was honoured to give his life in the name of protecting the people.[/b]? The remaining Air-General?s murmured softly among themselves, until the aged Marshal Bertineau had cut them off with a raised hand and a single stare. Rising from his seat, and leaning on his elegant walking stick for support, he locked eyes with Dwalish, his thin, sharp features and snow white hair retaining a strength that belied the fact he had reached his ninth decade of life earlier in the year. His cold blue eyes narrowed, as Dwalish willed himself not to quall, as he spoke, Dwalish realised that although his voice shared the same authority of Primas?, he possessed none of the same warmth. ?[b]Though I do not wish to contradict his Highness? commendations Commander Almagest, I believe you have put the Air-Fleet in an uncomfortable position with your particular actions during the later stages of the battle. The Air-Fleet is a representation of his Majesty, and our actions reflect upon him. When you exterminated the remainder of the defeated Underdog Fleet, including the late Vice-Marshal Litheway, you stained his Highness? name by appearing as butchers of broken foes.[/b]? ?[b]...You?ve got be joking...[/b]? The room?s attention was suddenly diverted to Air-General Von Heisenberg, as he lazily ran a hand through his dark blond hair. Marshal Bertineau?s eyes might well had been shut they had narrowed so much, a low growl escaping from his throat. ?[b]Would you care to repeat that comment Air-General ?[/b]? Taking the stare, Von Heisenberg merely smiled with distain. ?[b]I said you must be joking. If anything, the Commander here should be given a medal. They were traitors, all of them including your precious protégé Air-Marshal. Let?s not forget the fact that they stole the Almagest Cannon, and were prepared to use it against his Highness himself and the rest of High Czenoble. And yet here you stand having crawled out from your secure bunker and guard to berate his choice, the right choice in the heat of battle...[/b]? Von Heisenberg?s smile faded gradually. Apparently Gast had been right, his decision had been supported as well as vilified. ?[b]...Ridiculous, what would happen if they were still alive and were not satisfied by His Majesty?s changes to the governing system of this country ? We would face sedition and rebellion for years, not to mention Air-Marshal the length of time it would take to process and try all those guilty of treason, which I might also remind you carries the penalty of death. You are so concerned with the privilege and honour of the Air-Fleet you would have it wiped out rather than make the hard decisions.[/b]? King Primas who had been listening silently now raised his own hand. ?[b]Gentlemen, I thank you for both of your valid and honest assessments of the battle. Debating Commander Almagest?s decision to execute the defeated rebels is pointless however, as is it?s effect on my public perception. I am sure that like here, there are those who would regard it as an act of necessity and valour as much as an act of unnecessary brutality, and I imagine the debate will continue for many years to come...[/b]? Though the mood of the room remained considerably volatile, both Air-Marshal Betineau and Air-General Von Heisenberg assumed their seats again without further word. Dwalish had been surprised by Von Heisenberg actually retorting the most senior flag officer of the entire Air-Fleet even in Dwalish?s own defence... Still, at ninety years of age, Bertineau?s tenure was likely coming to an end, and his own lack of action during the battle meant he too was in a perilous position if questioned. ?[b]...However Commander, the death of Ms. Meredyne Artemis in the aftermath of the battle cannot be overlooked. Reports confirm that the death itself occurred during an attempted arrest of Jack Deacon, when the latter was pushed out of the path of sniper?s shot by Ms. Artemis resulting in her death. While that in itself is most unfortunate, it is the fact you were willing to trade Ms. Artemis for your younger brother, the recently commissioned Lt. Almagest that is under scrutiny. Can you please offer us your explanation ?[/b]? Dwalish?s breath was caught in his throat for a moment, they couldn?t be accusing him of what he thought they were accusing him of could they ? He willed himself to remain calm. ?[b]Respectfully Highness, my father, the late Air-General cleared Ms. Artemis of any involvement with the Underdogs. As such, she actually volunteered to make the trade to save Lt. Almagest when she learned of the situation, as well as Mr. Deacon?s presence onboard the Sentinel. I immensely regret the loss of her life, however, I believe that I would have done the same for any member of my crew, it was simply fortune on Mr. Deacon?s part that he managed to capture my brother, whom he recognised.[/b]? Primas remained expressionless. ?[b]I see. It is simply, with Artemis? recent bid on Magitech Corporation, you can see how this may look.[/b]? ?[b]I do Highness, but equally, I have little to no interaction with the company, aside from my inherited shares. As I said, her death was very unfortunate, but also, her own choice.[/b]? By the gods, he was actually being asked had he killed Meredyne to prevent a business deal ?! It took all his remaining self control not to laugh or shout at the stupidity of it. She had chosen her own death, and as much as he regretted it occurring, he had not been responsible. Slowly Primas? face twisted into a smile, whether or not a sincere one, Dwalish couldn?t tell. ?[b]Thank you for your honesty Commander. I believe we have heard all we need to from you, you?re dismissed.[/b]? Saluting, Dwalish turned to leave. ?[b]Oh, one final thing Commander. In light of your father?s sacrifice, and with your support, I?d like to rename the Sentinel to the Daedalus, in honour of her previous Commander.[/b]? Ever the master of propaganda. ?[b]Of course Highness, I would be truly honoured, as would her crew I?m sure.[/b]? Leaving the chamber, Dwalish knew well how perilous his career had become in the space of a single battle, while younger, more action-oriented Air-Generals like Von Heisenberg would likely support him, he had also likely alienated himself from much of the "old guard" like the Air-Marshal. Although not too long ago, such a thought would have worried him considerably, he now found himself oddly freed by it... perhaps it was his father's passing... perhaps he needed to stop simply living up to other people's expectations, and start setting his own bar. As a career officer, he had made Commander before forty, although it was unlikely he'd remain in command of the Daedalus, he would still likely have his pick of commands in the future, it was a very welcome thought... "[b]Thank you father... for everything.[/b]" Sorry I couldn't finish this, the details as to why can be found here: [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/showpost.php?p=812933&postcount=959"][U]Click[/U][/URL][/size][/indent]

[quote name='Phenom'][COLOR="Navy"][SIZE="1"]That's an interesting thought, Gavin. I don't have any thoughts about it though. Although, now that you mention it, I wonder how do arrancars gain a zanpakuto. I know that it's been stated that they try to take their masks off to become shinigami's, but that's it.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Yeah, it's just a sort of weird theory that popped into my head. It'd certainly be an interesting twist on the whole thing, as certainly the Arrancar do genuinely show a lot more "humanity" for the lack of a better word than their Hollow brethren. God, imagine what Ulquiorra's inner-Shinigami would have been like, he'd probably have been utterly hyper and happy, like a small, male Matsumoto.[/SIZE] [quote name='Phenom'][COLOR="Navy"][SIZE="1"]In any case, thought's on newest chapter. -Things are finally heating up. -Tessai has horns :) -Kensei's hollow is a beast. (Ichigo's ugly) -Still curious about bankais lol.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Indeed. I was fairly surprised about the revelation behind Tessai's background, it really makes me curious why the ex-Kidou Corp Commander is now serving Urahara on Earth. Judging by Ukitake's reaction, he may be one of the longest serving Captain class fighters, seeing as he referred to the Quincy back in the early manga nostalgically. Either way, Kubo now has to show just how powerful Tessai is with his kidou, I mean look how awesome Byakuya is, and now try to imagine someone who specialises in that style of fighting. Aizen vs. Tessai in a kidou match anyone ? If that's his Hollow mask, Kensei has the most bad-*** of all the ones so far, although I still think Ichigo's hollow form is pretty cool. Seems we're going to find out exactly how the Vaizard were created pretty soon. [/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]*Joins the indifference camp* Not to be cruel or anything about this, because I'm sure it's means a lot to the gay population of California, but the legalisation of gay marriage is something I've developed a severe indifference to at this point. While I'm not going down D'Ann's "yay let's all be miserable together" line, it's something which has no effect on me whatsoever, so I have no real opinion whether positive or negative on it. The debates will still rage, both for and against, and I'll still be there in the middle yawning and feeling mighty bored.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Rach, those were some awesome jokes. I actually nearly choked on my tea laughing at the "Horizontally Accessible" one. Another joke sitting in my inbox. [INDENT][B]Swearing At Work Policy[/B] It has been brought to management's attention that some individuals throughout the company have been using foul language during the course of normal conversation with their co-workers. Due to complaints received from some employees who may be easily offended, this type of language will no longer be tolerated. We do however; realize the critical importance of being able to accurately express your feelings when communicating with co-workers. Therefore, a list of 18 New and Innovative phrases have been provided so that proper exchange of ideas and information can continue in an effective manner. 1) TRY SAYING:I think you could use more training. INSTEAD OF:You don't know what the f___ you're doing. 2) TRY SAYING:She's an aggressive go-getter. INSTEAD OF:She's a ball-busting b__ch. 3) TRY SAYING:Perhaps I can work late. INSTEAD OF:And when the f___ do you expect me to do this? 4) TRY SAYING:I'm certain that isn't feasible. INSTEAD OF:No f___ing way. 5) TRY SAYING:Really? INSTEAD OF:You've got to be sh__ing me! 6) TRY SAYING:Perhaps you should check with... INSTEAD OF:Tell someone who gives a sh__. 7) TRY SAYING:I wasn't involved in the project. INSTEAD OF:It's not my f____ing problem. 8) TRY SAYING:That's interesting. INSTEAD OF:What the f___? 9) TRY SAYING:I'm not sure this can be implemented. INSTEAD OF:This sh__ won't work. 10) TRY SAYING:I'll try to schedule that. INSTEAD OF:Why the f___ing h _ll didn't you tell me sooner? 11) TRY SAYING:He's not familiar with the issues. INSTEAD OF:He's got his head up his a__. 12) TRY SAYING:Excuse me, sir? INSTEAD OF:Eat sh__ and die. 13) TRY SAYING:So you weren't happy with it? INSTEAD OF:Kiss my a__. 14) TRY SAYING:I'm a bit overloaded at the moment. INSTEAD OF:F___ it, I'm on salary. 15) TRY SAYING:I don't think you understand. INSTEAD OF:Shove it up your a__. 16) TRY SAYING:I love a challenge. INSTEAD OF:This job sucks. 17) TRY SAYING:You want me to take care of that? INSTEAD OF:Who the h___ died and made you boss? 18 ) TRY SAYING:He's somewhat insensitive. INSTEAD OF:He's a pr_ck. Thank You, Human Resources[/INDENT] One more why not. [INDENT][b]The Reality of Money[/b] A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between potentially and realistically?" The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and then ask your brother if he'd sleep with Tom Cruise for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that." So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars?" The mother replied, "Of course I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send yo! u kids to a great university." The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?" The girl replied, "Oh my God! I LOVE Brad Pitt! I would sleep with him in a heartbeat, are you nuts?!?!?" The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Tom Cruise for a million dollars?" "Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million could buy?" The boy pondered the answers for a few days, then went back to his dad. His father asked him, "Did you find out the difference between potentially and realistically?" The boy replied, "Yes, sir. Potentially, you and I are sitting on three million dollars. But, realistically, we're living with two sluts and a queer." [/SIZE][/INDENT]

[quote name='Sabrina'][FONT="Tahoma"]If by DB you are referring to that vulgar member... then I second the idea to do him in! Kill DB! *cough* I mean [U]save that poor boy[/U] or at the very least find his killer and put them behind bars where they belong... >_> [SIZE="1"]or not...[/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Oh don't worry Sabrina, I'm sure we'll get someone for it, them actually being the guilty party would just be a bonus. Although I suppose we could publically offer a reward for the killing of DB and then arrest the person when they come forward to collection it.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Indi'][COLOR="Indigo"]Proof positive that Jesus was Irish: [INDENT]1) He lived at home until he was 30. 2) The night before he died, he went out drinking with his buddies. 3) His mother thought he was God. 4) He thought his mother was a virgin. [/INDENT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]As I said over AIM, it's kinda freaky I only heard that joke for the first time earlier today, although it didn't have the two middle ones. Good joke though. I think I may have posted this in a previous thread, but it still makes me laugh. An email courtesy of my old man. [INDENT]A man walking along a California beach was deep in thought and prayer. All of a sudden he said out loud: "Lord, grant me one wish." Suddenly the sky clouded over above his head, and in a booming voice the Lord said "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish"; The man thought and said "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over anytime I want" The Lord said "Your request is very materialistic. Think of the logistics of that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific! The concrete and steel it would take! I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little time and think of another wish, a wish you think would honor and glorify me" The man thought about it for a long time. Finally he said "Lord, I wish that I could understand women. I want to know how they feel inside, what they are thinking when they give me the silent treatment, why they cry, what they mean when they say 'nothing,' and how I can make a woman truly happy." After a few minutes God said "You want two or four lanes on that bridge?" [/INDENT][/SIZE]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]Too bad Gavin didn't get the memo either. I think the count is up to five for me.[/FONT][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]There was a memo ? My bad Ace.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"][spoiler]Teresa from Claymore[/spoiler], having gotten about a third of the way through the series so far, I have to admit, I was pretty moved by the character's death. A combination of the way she changed completely and developed in just the course of a few episodes, and really the suddenness of the death, even if it was slightly obvious was just sad for me.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]*Waits for Nerdsy's eventual rant about the excellence of actually being a nerd.* I'm a nerd, and have no real problems admitting it, although equally I don't suffer from the supposed lack of a social-life attached to the name, probably because not everything I do is classed as "nerdy", just about 90% of it. :animesmil[/SIZE]

[quote name='Kei'][color=darkblue][size=1]Why not? Danzou put out a hit on Sasuke presumably without Tsunade's knowledge. Tsunade would probably have tried to stop him if she'd known, what with he allowing Naruto to go out and attempt to find him on his own (I can't remember if she actually made it an official mission or not at the moment). Besides, all of them knew full well what happened with the Uchiha in the past, but it said in the chapter that Sarutobi was the only one that actually stood up for the Uchiha. Though he was Hokage at the time, that doesn't mean that they couldn't have gone behind his back and set up something that elaborate. They're shinobi too, after all.[/color][/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]There's a huge different Kei between Danzou eliminating one preson behind the Hokage's back, and ordering the elimination of an entire clan. Yes, if Danzou was aware of the Uchiha's planned coup, then perhaps he might have done so, hell he probably would have done so on mere suspicion of it ocurring, but I personally just don't think it's realistic. I think if Danzou did it, he wouldn't be around today, as Sarutobi didn't strike me as someone who would take kindly to a person eliminating a good portion of his "family" which is how he regarded the entirity of Konoha, including the Uchiha. Look how he reacted to Orochimaru and his experiments, it was purely because Orochimaru was his "treasured student" that allowed him to survive being caught by Sarutobi. Danzou doesn't appear to have been nearly as close to the old man. Maybe I'm wrong though, this is just my take on it. Next week's chapter will probably clear up the situation a whole lot more.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Kei'][color=darkblue][size=1]Guru might be right when he said Sasuke might be taking his brother's place with Akatsuki.[/color][/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Despite the hints that have been coming up about it, I actually can't see this happening, at least unless Akatsuki's goals are once again changed to suit something that might convince Sasuke to join them. I suppose seeing as he's back to blank slate goal-wise himself, there's a possibility with enough coaxing from Madara it may occur, but, I don't know, maybe it's just too many bad fanfics involving that theory has put me off it.[/SIZE] [quote name='Kei'][color=darkblue][size=1]That may be, but that would mean that Madara killed off all the other members of the Uchiha. Itachi probably didn't take to that kindly and might have tried to fight Madara off, though he didn't seem too worse for wear during the flashbacks we've seen of the night of the massacre. Either that, or the Uchiha did get hip to what Itachi was doing and attacked him, but he beat them off in self-defense. Still, in the long run, whatever way you look at it, the Uchiha are responsible for their own downfall. It is true that what the Senju did to them was pretty crappy, but it's what happens when clans like the Uchiha spring up: they were too much of a wildcard so the Senju stacked the deck in their favour. Traditional power politics.[/color][/size][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]I suppose either is possible, at this point, we just don't have enough information about what happened to make anything other than vague estimates. I just can't see the Uchiha massacre being sanctioned by Konoha, that is to say, I can't see the Council and Danzou going behind Sarutobi's back to do something as huge as that. [/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]Well now, despite reading the spoiler translations earlier in the week, I have to admit, this certainly was an interesting chapter. The background info on the Senju, the Uchiha and Konoha was certainly welcome, although it does present the question as to where exactly the Senju have all gone, that is to say, if the Senju clan were an actual blood clan and not just a few different groups with the same allegiance, in which case the Senju would likely be all the other clans of Konoha, with the exception of the Hyuuga. While I don't agree with Guru when he says that Itachi murdered the Uchiha on Konoha's orders, even if this could more specifically refer to Danzou as I'm pretty sure at this point that Itachi was Root as opposed to Hokage ANBU. Itachi confirmed that Madara was with him when he killed off the rest of the clan, or at least was present at the time. More likely, I think Itachi actually eliminated/identified members of the coup who were then eliminated by Konoha, but that nobody within the Uchiha realised what he was doing until it was too late. Actually thinking on it Shisui may have been one particular member of the coup he had to eliminate, and the fight earned him his Mangekyou, but that itself set off the Uchiha as to what he was doing. It's weird, but even despite the likelihood of Madara being a complete liar, I can't help but feel he is actually telling the whole truth about what happened.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Aberinkula'][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"][SIZE="1"]Tell me this is a good thing?[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]...define good ? Oh, who am I kidding, if I'm judge, you're getting the chair, regardless of whether or not you're actually innocent.[/SIZE] [quote name='Aaryanna_Mom']*takes Rachmaninoff, Gavin and chibi-master by the ear and drags them to a corner* [/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]But Mom he started it ! *Points at Rach* :animesmil Hang on a sec...how'd you drag three of us with only two hands ?[/SIZE]

[quote name='Aceburner']Want me to try the Chewbacca Defense next time?:p[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]Ace as Johnny Cochrane, go for it if you think you can pull it off as well as he did. ^_~[/SIZE] [quote name='Aberinkula'][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"][SIZE="1"]For soem reason I feel that there is going to be DigitalBoy murder case... with me as the prime suspect. >_> [/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]If this ever happens, I'd like to be either Judge or Prosecutor, preferably the former.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="1"]I suppose one of the better things about this filler arc is that they're openly admitting right from the start that it's filler, which seeing as they stopped right in the middle of another arc, which was just starting to get to the good stuff, is a little irritating. Just finished watching Bleach 169 a few minutes ago, and I have to say, so far, I'm rather neutral. One of the particular things that irked by about the initial plotline, the fact that [spoiler]only one new captain was being promoted was the fact Shuusuke was promoted the the 3rd Division despite the 5th being in the most dire need of leadership, what with no Captain or Lieutenant. That and of course, seeing as Soul Society is aware of two other Shinigami who aren't exiled with Bankai (Ichigo and Renji) there's no point why they shouldn't have all 13 Captains once again. But meh, I'm a Bleach geek who just wants to see Ichigo get to Captain at some point.[/spoiler] Overall however, [spoiler]I rather like Shuusuke, one of the major complaints was he was to be too similar to Kyouraku, but I really can't see it, aside from some extremely superficial ones, i.e. both have stubble which is a bit of a stretch.[/spoiler] 169 wasn't particularly engaging either, [spoiler]although the mute Enryuu with his hilarious body language is awesome[/spoiler]. Hopefully the next few episodes will be better, although admittedly it's going to take three or so episodes to establish the plot.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']*bonks Raiha, Objection Overruled!* :D[/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]*Whacks Darren with an over-sized gavel.* Last time I checked, it was Judge [I]Kathy[/I]. ^_~ Anyway, not a bad second chapter Ace, for some unknown reason I heard Cartman's voice giving that speech of yours, it just seemed like something he'd try.[/SIZE]